The Launching Of Luna Fungicides

Bayer CropScience announced last week at the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Georgia that its Luna fungicides, which feature a new class of chemistry, will be available to growers this coming season.

According to Herbert S. Young, senior product manager, horticulture fungicides, at Bayer CropScience, each Luna product has two modes of action. “It is a new chemical class that is mixed with one of our standard fungicides,” he explained.

Luna Experience will be for use on winegrapes, almonds, pistachios, and watermelon. One of the key diseases Luna targets in watermelon is gummy stem blight. Young said Bayer wanted to make sure that particular disease was on the label for watermelon because of the tremendous need for a good control measure. He added that Luna Experience also controls cucurbit powdery mildew.

For foliar use in watermelon, Young said Luna is systemic in the plant. “Once it gets in, it moves upward in the plant and extends to new foliage,” he added. The product is said to be effective against strobilurin- and boscalid-resistant strains.

David Langston, a plant pathologist at the University of Georgia, added that the fungicide doesn’t have the same cross resistance with other SDHI (Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor) fungicides he had been using in Georgia to combat gummy stem blight in watermelon. “We look forward to adding another tool to the toolbox,” he said.

The next Luna product, Luna Tranquility will be for use on potatoes. The fungicide will control white mold, early blight, Botrytis, and black dot. On the early blight complex, Young said the product offers a new efficacy level. He added that the fungicide can be applied via chemigation to control white mold, allowing it to be taken up through plant roots.

The third Luna product, Luna Sensation, is slated for use on apples, cherries, almonds, and pistachios.

Young added that part of the plan with the Luna fungicides is to expand the labels to additional fruit and vegetable crops in 2014.

For more information, contact Bayer CropScience at www.BayerCropScienceUS.com.Bayer CropScience announced last week at the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Georgia that its Luna fungicides, which feature a new class of chemistry, will be available to growers this coming season.

According to Herbert S. Young, senior product manager, horticulture fungicides, at Bayer CropScience, each Luna product has two modes of action. “It is a new chemical class that is mixed with one of our standard fungicides,” he explained.

Luna Experience will be for use on winegrapes, almonds, pistachios, and watermelon. One of the key diseases Luna targets in watermelon is gummy stem blight. Young said Bayer wanted to make sure that particular disease was on the label for watermelon because of the tremendous need for a good control measure. He added that Luna Experience also controls cucurbit powdery mildew.

For foliar use in watermelon, Young said Luna is systemic in the plant. “Once it gets in, it moves upward in the plant and extends to new foliage,” he added. The product is said to be effective against strobilurin- and boscalid-resistant strains.

David Langston, a plant pathologist at the University of Georgia, added that the fungicide doesn’t have the same cross resistance with other SDHI (Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor) fungicides he had been using in Georgia to combat gummy stem blight in watermelon. “We look forward to adding another tool to the toolbox,” he said.

The next Luna product, Luna Tranquility will be for use on potatoes. The fungicide will control white mold, early blight, Botrytis, and black dot. On the early blight complex, Young said the product offers a new efficacy level. He added that the fungicide can be applied via chemigation to control white mold, allowing it to be taken up through plant roots.

The third Luna product, Luna Sensation, is slated for use on apples, cherries, almonds, and pistachios.

Young added that part of the plan with the Luna fungicides is to expand the labels to additional fruit and vegetable crops in 2014.